Ron and Sharon Salluzzo share a true desire to give back
by Susan Anderson
Propelled by their belief that St. Bonaventure University makes a difference in peoples’ lives, Ron, ’72, and Sharon Salluzzo made a firm commitment early in their marriage to support St. Bonaventure and today are fully engaged in The Anniversary Campaign for St. Bonaventure University. 
“We started giving fairly soon after we got out of college, partly because we were getting a little bit more successful and we could afford it,” Ron says. “But we always recognized that a lot of our success was driven by the things we learned and the progress we made at St. Bonaventure.”
Ron and Sharon say the Franciscan values of individual dignity, community relationships, and service to others resonated with them while they were students at St. Bonaventure, and have enriched their personal and professional lives since then.
It is because of the University’s Franciscan identity that the Salluzzos are proud to help fund the Pacioli Project, one of St. Bonaventure’s Signature Programs. The Pacioli Project draws its name from the 15th-century Franciscan friar, mathematician and business scholar Luca Pacioli, often referred to as “The Father of Accounting.” Woven throughout Pacioli’s description of the double-entry method of accounting are his insights on how being a successful businessperson and a “good person” can be brought together in living an integrated life.
Ron and Sharon believe the Signature Programs are a way to do something “unique that no other institution can do,” pointing out that the Pacioli Project puts together the accounting program with the Franciscan Institute to teach accounting students about ethical business decision-making. “We think that’s a special place for St. Bonaventure to be,” Ron says. “It’s a program area that a lot of schools would somewhat shy away from.”
Supporting the University is also a way for the Salluzzos to stay in touch with a place they have long called “home.” Ron followed in the footsteps of his uncle and brother in becoming a Bonaventure grad, Sharon attended classes here, and their daughter, Cara, is a member of St. Bonaventure’s Class of 2000.
“With the experience that we have had and other members of our family have had, it’s nice to know that we can share that experience with others; and that’s all part of the feeling of St. Bonaventure — you want to go out and share the joy,” Sharon says.
Sharon is a children’s literature specialist who has taught children’s literature as a visiting instructor in the Department of Graduate Studies at Nazareth College in Rochester, and has worked extensively as a professional storyteller.
Ron, a member of the University’s Board of Trustees who earned a bachelor of business administration from St. Bonaventure, is executive vice president and chief financial officer of Harris Interactive, a marketing research company. Prior to joining Harris Interactive in 2006, he served as the chief risk officer for BearingPoint Inc., and prior to that spent 27 years at KPMG LLP.
Named the William P. “Stax” McCarthy Alumnus of the Year during the 2007 Alumni Reunion Weekend, Ron has been an involved member of the St. Bonaventure University community since his graduation.
“When we’ve given to St. Bonaventure, we’ve tended to give because we believe it’s the right thing to do. It’s a great cause,” Ron says. “We think the opportunity for St. Bonaventure to continue to succeed is plenty thanks, so we look for our chance to have the privilege to continue being part of the Bonaventure community.”
View video of Ron and Sharon